Dirk Roos and his lovely wife are the brains, the brawn and the passion behind this fine vineyard. Their artisanal sense and experience shows in the deft elegance and beautifully designed packaging.

When he isn’t making wine under their family label, Dirk also assists his older and, dare we say wiser?, cousin Louis on Mooiplaas (if you are reading this sheet first you will learn about Mooiplaas very shortly).

When Dirk isn’t making wine here or there, well, then he drinks wine, surfs a bit, potters around the garden, hangs out with the wife and the two kids that keep him from finishing that book that has been lying next to his bed for weeks. In his own words, “I also love listening to my wife playing the piano, and I am a pretty good cook.” Perhaps Dirk will whip up some light game or lamb for us one day to sip Verlieft in the sunset…

The family cat is called Katzen, and according to the system, Dirk should have been a politician or psychiatrist. He’s probably a bit of both already.

Why we picked it:

There are many “Bordeaux Blend” wines and blends out there and we tasted a great deal of them for this shipment. To stand out from the masses this wine really had to stand out in a crowd – and that’s exactly what Verlieft achieved. This wine embodies everything that Tank & Barrel stands for.

Where it grows:

Check out the Houmoed Tasting Guide in this same box for information on the farm. Handily, Dirk is able to pluck here and there on Mooiplaas to make his label. Wonder if his cousins are jealous?